The Man In Black
by LiveLaughLove72
Summary: Aria has had a terrible life in the past. She blocked out so many awful memories, but some still remain. She gets a job at the Coffee Cup Cafe and starts to rebuild her life. She thinks she is moving forward, but she's not. When she meets a mysterious, familiar man in black at the Coffee Cup Cafe, will it take her farther back, or begin her mission to move on?
1. Begin Again

Aria is now trying to begin her life again with a fresh new outlook. In high school, she had dated Jason DiLaurentis. She ended up pregnant with his child, and married him right out of high school. He cheated, became an alcoholic, and abused her. Thinking it would have a better life, she put the baby up for adoption. Now, she's 21 and working as a waitress in a small Coffee Cup Café. Who knows who she'll meet there?

_So, this story is a bit different from the kind I usually write. I've decided to expand my…writing language to satisfy some other people's preferences. So, uh, yeah. Here ya go! Enjoy! _

**Chapter 1**

_Begin Again_

I awoke in the middle of nowhere.

I was lying on the leather back seat of a car parked in the forest. The scent of cheap cologne filled the car. There was a nude man lying beside me, snoring. My brow furrowed as I tried to remember his name.

Eli. His name was Eli Soto. We had met at a bar the night before and…that was all I could remember. Judging by our lack of clothes, I could correctly assume what had gone on after that.

Eli had a mass of blonde curly hair and, from what I could remember, hazel eyes that took on the shape of almonds. His perfect pink lips were turned up at the corners. He smiled while he slept. It was adorable.

Taking out my tiny notebook I always had in my pocket, I wrote a note:

_Dear Eli,_

_ Had an amazing time last night. Hope we can do it again. My # is 724-248-1414. Sorry about leaving. Late for work!_

_-Aria_

I got out of the car and threw my clothes on. My house was a small log cabin not too far off the road from where I was. From what I could gather, Eli and I just didn't make it there.

I know what people would think about me. No, I'm not a slut. The alcohol makes the pain go away. Sometimes I wake up and realize the dumb things that occurred while I was under the influence. Sex never had a meaning to me anyway. It was ironic that I had moved here to begin my life again, but I was still making the same damn mistakes.

Finally, I arrived at my home with mud seeping onto my feet. I should have known flip-flops were a bad decision. My little brother, Mike, used to say they were called that because on the stairs, you'd flip, and then you'd flop on your ass. Ah, I missed Mike. Too bad he didn't miss me.

Hurrying to gather everything, I threw my usual clothes on. Skinny jeans and a camisole. Today, the skinny jeans were black, and the camisole was hot pink. I fixed my long, brownish-blackish hair in waves, brushed my pearly white teeth, and applied mascara and eyeliner to my hazel eyes. I applied some other needed make-up and dabbed on my soft pink lip gloss before heading out the door.

Jumping into my dark red Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, I floored it. I was already twenty minutes late. On any other day, I would walk, but I just wasn't feeling it. Besides, I was wearing flats, and the mud was practically up to my ankles already.

I moped into the Coffee Cup Café. It was a small diner in the middle of New Florence, PA, where I lived. Right across the street was Uni-Mart, C&T's Pizza Place, the post office, and Sheriff's Pizza Place. Sure, they had a gas-station and pizza places, but New Florence was full of a bunch of no-good, never-going-to-get-anywhere-in-life hicks. Thank God I came from Rosewood, a place with a bit more class.

Not that I had inherited any of it, but that isn't the point.

The place wasn't packed. It felt warm and stuffy in the café. There were some dirty men with long white beards that smelled like smoke sitting together, chatting about hunting. One of them had got a "big one" when he went yesterday.

Charlotte was at the counter, wiping away some crumbs. She looked terrible. Her red hair was packed into a messy bun, and there were bags under her eyes. She let out a loud yawn.

"Someone didn't get enough sleep last night," I remarked. "What were you doing? Pulling an all-nighter playing Scrabble?" Charlotte was only 18, and I teased her all the time. I mean, I was three years older, and she did have the social life of a…actually, she had no social life.

She giggled. Although Charlotte was obviously exhausted, her green eyes were filled with excitement and elation. Maybe she finally got that social life.

"Promise you won't tell?" she asked in a whisper.

I glided over to her. "Why are we whispering? Do you think the old men in the corner are going to want to listen to our lady gossip? Please, they probably go home to their nice, lovely cardboard box."

"Do you want to know or not?" she snapped.

"Yes, just tell me already!"

Charlotte hesitated before cupping her hands around my ear. "I lost my virginity!"

I raised my eyebrows. "That's what you're so excited about?" I asked, in a tone that hinted her reason was pathetic. "I've lost my virginity about 350 times."

"Well, technically-"

"You know what I meant! The point is, I don't even remember who I lost my virginity to."

Her jaw dropped, and she began to say something, but then immediately closed her mouth. Then, she opened it again. "First, that is seriously sick. Second, it was special for me. I am proud to say his name was Kurt Watson."

I smiled and said in a falsetto, "I am proud to say his name was evidently not important."

Charlotte groaned. "Try to remember, please. The way that is just disgusts me."

"Fine," I sighed, giving up. I tried to remember who it was. "I lost my virginity to…"

A tall man smoothly entered the café, and I tried to joke around. "Him," I said, pointing.

"You're hopeless," she grumbled. Then, she went to check up on the men in the corner with a smile pasted on her face.

The tall man I had seen earlier sat down at a table in my section. He was wearing a black trench coat with the hood over his face, black slacks, and black sunglasses. I went over to him, fixing my hair. I mean, a man in all black? Hello, obviously mysterious hottie!

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said.

He stiffened as I spoke. Without looking at me, in a bewildered tone, he asked, "Huh?"

I smiled. "Well, you're wearing all black. There are only two possibilities. Number one, you're a spy. Number two, you're going to a funeral. I just assumed number two was more likely."

He chuckled, and I was the one to freeze.

I _knew_ that chuckle. It was so familiar, I would recognize it anywhere. But, I couldn't remember who had laughed like that. It was on the tip of my tongue, and I scratched my head, trying to figure it out. I decided to be bold.

"Excuse me, but, have we met before? It seems like I know you from somewhere."

The man pulled his shades down to reveal his eyes. His eyes were a dazzling, striking crystal blue that made me melt. Quickly ascending his glasses up his nose, he simply said, "Uh-uh. I don't think so."

There were two things I had learned from that. This man was a total hottie, I could see it already. He was amazing, I could tell that, too. But there were two things that really stuck out. First, I knew those blue eyes. They had made me melt so many times before. Second, I knew that "Uh-uh," was a lie.

Maybe I actually did bang him.

_So, I know that isn't what you expected for Aria. She was kind of funny though. Who do you think the mysterious hottie is? I know, it's totally obvious, but you're going to have to wait. All that alcohol did a lot of damage on Aria's brain, so she's been a bit slow lately. And why do you think this man is in all black? Also, if you want some Charlotte/Kurt in this story, I just need some requests. To be honest, I enjoyed writing about her. So, any requests for some Charlotte/Aria friendship or Charlotte/Kurt romance, just post a review. And, there will be no Charlotte/Aria romance. Sorry! I love you guys! Constructive criticism and all!_

_-Raina_


	2. Hands of Time

_I love writing this story so much, I can't stop writing! My little brother flipped out on me because I didn't give him credit for the last chapter. He made the flip-flop joke, so I hereby declare all credit for that joke owned by Braiden. BTW, all the chapter names are of songs played in Pretty Little Liars. __**Begin Again**__ is by Measure. __**Hands of Time**__ is by Rachel Diggs. Both songs were played in 1X01. All right, on with the story!_

**Chapter 2**

_Hands of Time_

"I don't know, maybe," I said.

I was on the phone with Charlotte, explaining to her the familiarity of the man in black. I had asked him what his name was, and he joked, "Why do you need to know? So you can stalk me?" I was determined, so I asked again.

He had said, "My name is none of your business or concern. But, if you must know, I was named Michael, after my great-grandfather."

Okay, this might sound weird, but I had a journal that I took with me everywhere. I had two, actually. One was for writing notes. In the other, I kept track of all the men I had sex with. So, when I got home, I checked my journal. I had never, ever banged a Michael before.

Maybe he would be the first.

Now, some may be wondering how I can't remember the man I lost my V-card to if I kept a journal. Well, I started with the first man I remembered.

Jason DiLaurentis.

_Flashback:_

_I hummed a tune to myself as I came to the door of my apartment. Groceries weighed on me, making me slouch. I couldn't wait to get inside and see my lovely husband and gurgling baby girl, Lucy. I opened the door, and gasped at what I saw, the groceries falling to the floor. Eggs broke, and yolk seeped out of the bag as it tipped on its side._

_ Jason, my husband, was making love to another girl._

_ "Jason?" I screeched._

_ He looked up at me, shrugged, and just kept going at it with the woman. Tears pricked at the backs of my eyes. Lucy sat in her crib, crying. I ran to her and picked her up, snuggling her to my chest as I stroked her banana blonde curls. Her hazel eyes that looked exactly like mine were full of fear, worry, and bewilderment._

_ "How could you?" I shrieked at Jason._

_ The woman laughed from under Jason. "You honestly believed he loved you?"_

_ "Yeah, Aria, face the facts," Jason chuckled. "Now, get out, you're spoiling my fun."_

_ "Fine!" I screamed. Holding Lucy close to me, covering her eyes so she couldn't see what was going on, I fled the apartment, hot tears staining my face and ruining my mascara._

_End of flashback_

Jason had broken my heart so many times, it was shattered by the end. I had left him. My worst regret was giving Lucy up for adoption. I was so afraid of leaving her with Jason, but I was an unfit mother. So, I sent my own daughter away.

"You don't know if you've met the guy before?" Charlotte asked, her voice crashing through the painful memory. "How hard is it to remember?"

"Alcohol kills your brain cells, Char. You should know this by now."

"I swear to God, if you go out again tonight, I will strangle you tomorrow."

"It may kill your brain cells, but it doesn't mean it doesn't taste good."

I hung up on her as I heard he growl. She was so tired of me being that "slut". I wasn't a slut. I was a girl who drank a lot, had sex, and didn't remember any of it in the morning. I'm pretty sure that's called an American, not a slut.

I sighed as my ringtone "B-26" blared from my phone. I had always loved that song for some reason. It had a special meaning to me. Of course, I couldn't remember why. I checked my phone, sure Charlotte was calling. I was wrong. It was just a random number. I answered it.

"Hello," I said casually.

"Um, Aria?" asked a deep, soothing voice. "This is Eli. Eli Soto?"

"Oh, hey!" I exclaimed. I wasn't expecting him to call. "What's up?"

"Wondering if you could come over here."

"No, thanks, I'd rather you come here."

"Sure thing. See you then."

"Mmm-hmm."

Hanging up the phone, I decided I should probably change. Eli lived in Ligonier, so it would take him about twenty minutes to get here. I jumped in the shower. Once I got out, I changed into a black mini sundress with flower designs. While fixing my hair to flow in feathery waves, I heard the doorbell ring.

I ran as fast as I could with my black heels and swung the door open. A cool breeze blew through the open door. I looked the figure up and down. The person outside my door was not Eli.

It was Michael.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I practically shouted, pulling him in by his arm and slamming the door shut. "And how did you know where I lived? I don't even know you!"

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to be here, Aria," he snapped. "I knocked on your door to ask you if you would like to donate to the Salvation Army." He thrust a red bucket at me with the logo printed on it.

"Oh," I said. "Are you part of the Salvation Army or something?"

"No," he replied, all his anger gone now. "I'm just charitable. I like to go around collecting money for different charities and stuff. I donate it all. It's fun."

"Oh. Well, hang on, let me get my wallet." I ran over to my purse and dug through it until I found what I was looking for. "Here," I said, dropping a $20 bill into the bucket.

"You don't have to donate that much."

"It's like you said. It's fun to help out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date."

His mouth popped open. "A-a d-d-_date_?" he stuttered.

"Do I need to spell it out for you? Now, shoo, it's weird having you in my house. I barely know you, Michael."

Only it was a lie. I had never met this man in my life, yet it seemed as if I knew everything about him. It wasn't weird having him in my house. He had a comforting sense about him. On top of that, my heart never stopped thudding in my chest when I was around him.

My heart had never beat like that. I hadn't had feelings for someone in a long time. And I didn't know anything about him. Yet, I did. I knew everything I needed to know. I had met him before, and I knew he was lying to me when he said he didn't know me.

Michael stumbled out of my home, dazed. I cracked a joke about him being drunk because of the way he walked out. He laughed breathlessly. He shut the door behind him, and I felt gloomy that he had left.

About ten minutes later, Eli knocked. It annoyed me. For some odd reason, I hated that. I preferred for people to ring the doorbell.

I couldn't help but think that Michael had rang the doorbell.

I had only opened the door a crack when Eli barged in and attacked my lips with a kiss. His lips were soft. He smelled of Old Spice cologne. I tangled my fingers in his long, wavy blonde hair. It was almost as soft as his lips.

When I pulled away, his brow furrowed in confusion. I just gave him a small smile and led him to the kitchen. He sat at the table as I searched through the cupboards. After some searching, I found a dusty bottle of Roscato Rosso Dolce. It was an Italian red wine.

I poured us both a glass filled to the brim. I picked up my glass and clanged it to his. We both took a sip. Well, I took a sip, he almost chugged the damn thing.

"Why are we sitting here drinking wine?" he asked, befuddled.

I nodded. "You know, you're probably right. But, I want to know more about you before I show you my bedroom." I climbed on to the chair. When I was comfortable I asked my first question. "Where do you work?"

"I work at the Ligonier Creamery, serving ice cream," he responded. "You?"

"Coffee Cup Café, here in New Florence. I'm learning about you, not me. So, are you wealthy?"

"I didn't think you were a gold digger, but yes, I am."

"How? You work at the Creamery!"

"My wife is an orthodontist."

That stopped me. Although I didn't really have many feelings for Eli beyond sex, it still hurt. I continued with the questions anyway. "So, you have a family?"

"Yes," he replied. I must have been doing a good job of hiding the pain because he didn't seem to notice. "I have my wife, Teresa. I also have two children. Olivia and Philip."

"How old are you kids?"

"Olivia is 16 and Philip is 13."

That one stung, too. It meant he had been with his wife for six-teen years, at least. "How old are you, Eli?"

He was taken aback by my question. I guess it was unexpected. "I'm 38. I didn't think that mattered. How old are you?"

"First of all, it does matter. Second, I'm only 21. Third, how much do you love your kids?" I needed to know this. If he was doing me on the side, how much did he care about his family?

He seemed to not expect that question, either. He said, after some thinking, "I know what this might look like. I know I am cheating on Teresa with you, but I can't help it. You're so beautiful, and Teresa and I have been arguing a lot lately. We're thinking about getting divorced. As for my kids, I love them very much. They mean the world to me, and I would never leave them." He sounded sincere.

I put my shaking hand with the fingernails painted black on his rough hand. "I know how that feels," I whispered. "When I was 19, I walked in on my husband, Jason, having sex with another girl. I had a baby girl named Lucy who was only 1 at the time. I wanted to leave Jason, but then he started to abuse me. I was afraid to leave.

"Jason never let me go anywhere," I continued. Tears were in my eyes, and I blinked them back. It didn't stop my voice from shaking. "I was kept in that apartment practically my whole life. Then, the woman came over again. While they were…getting intimate, I found a phone and called the police. Jason went to jail, and we got a divorce.

A single tear slipped out and trailed down to my chin. "I couldn't keep Lucy. She was 2 by the end of our divorce. So, I put her up for adoption. It was the best thing I could do for her. It is also my biggest regret." I let my eyes meet his, and saw his strange expression of horror.

"How could you?" he shouted, taking back his hand. "Your own daughter needed you at that point in her life, and you just sent her away?"

Tears were streaming down my face as I screamed back, "I didn't have a choice! I wasn't fit to mother her! She needed someone she could count on! Not some whore who got married right out of high school!"

"That may very well be who she is with right now! Forget this, I'm going." He stomped away toward the door.

I ran after him, and grabbed his arm, spinning him around. "Eli, please," I whispered. "You have no idea how much I regret the decision I made, but I had to do it."

"You disgust me," he spat in my face. Then, he walked out the door.

I ran to my room, and sat down on the bed, bringing my knees up to my chin. Tears landed on my bare legs. I suddenly felt cold, lonely, and terrible. The make-up ran down my face.

"I regret it. I regret losing you. I regret not trying to save you from the position you might be in now. Most of all, I regret not trying hard enough to be your mother. If I could, I would turn back the hands of time and undo all my mistakes. But, I can't. All I can tell you is that I'm sorry. God, you don't know how sorry I am. I love you, Lucy," I sobbed.

Wiping away the tears with the backs of my hands, I lay down, fully clothed, brought the covers up to my chin, and went to sleep.

_I know, sad ending. Don't hate me!_ _I promise, she will find out who Michael really is soon. Anyway, should I include more of Eli? Maybe some more Charlotte? Something about Kurt? Sorry he wasn't included in this chapter. Review, favorite, PM me, or whatever! Remember, I love constructive criticism! Thanks!_

_-Raina :)_


	3. Where I Stood

_Well, now that I'm finally getting reviews on this story, I would like to thank __**A Pretty Little Love**__, __**myheartwithyou**__, __**Anony**__, and my best friend, __**Emily123454321**__ for the kind reviews on my second chapter. You guys have inspired me to write the next one! Oh, and __**Where I Stood **__is an amazing song by Missy Higgins. On with the chapter!_

**Chapter 3**

_Where I Stood_

I sighed as the boredom overwhelmed me. The Coffee Cup was extremely slow today. The old, dirty, cardboard-box men sat in the corner, chatting about the good ol' days. A cold, shivering, young girl sat at the table nearest to me, sipping on hot chocolate with her mother. I couldn't help but hear their conversation.

"Mom, why did you drag me here?" the girl complained. "I could be at home right now!"

The mother rolled her eyes. "Because, Raina, you're only 12 years old and I don't trust you at home alone. Besides, I thought you wanted to go shopping at Hollister today!"

Raina sighed and continued to drink her hot chocolate. I giggled. She was only twelve, and her mommy didn't trust her at home alone? I wondered what she would think of me. I stopped eaves-dropping when the mother gave me a strange look.

Just then, Michael walked in.

He wore the same black…well, everything. He quickly glanced in my direction, and then hurried to the table beside Raina and her mother. I wasn't stupid. Michael purposely sat in Charlotte's section.

Just then, Char came over to me. "Hey. Did you go out last night? I wasn't kidding about the strangling thing."

I giggled. "No, I did not. Did you see your lovely Kurt Watson last night?"

Charlotte sighed and tears welled up in her eyes at his name. "We got into a fight last night," she admitted, biting her lip.

"About?" I prompted. She looked down at the floor, not wanting to relive their argument. I joked, "C'mon, I need to know the whole story before I kick his ass!"

"It wasn't his fault. We got into a fight because I refused to…you know…"

"Uh, no, I don't know. That's why I asked you to tell me!"

"He wanted me to…try something new…in…uh…"

"Oh," I gasped, finally understanding. The situation had just become awkward. I mean, joking about sex with Char was fine. But really having heart-to-heart chats about it? Definitely not my strong suit, if you know what I mean. "So, what was this new thing?" I asked.

She blushed. "You really don't need to know."

"Um, hello, when I ask you something, it means I want to know!" I mumbled, "Gingers…they always need someone to hold their hand."

Charlotte gasped at my 'cruel' joke. "Well, let's put it this way, whore. It's probably nothing you haven't done before."

My eyes widened. Char had always been so sweet. She never cussed, insulted people, used sarcasm, or even used the Lord's name in vain. She began to walk away and I grabbed her arm.

"What?" she snapped.

"I need you to switch sections with me," I said through clenched teeth.

"Why?"

"Michael purposely sat in your section!"

"Ugh, fine! I don't want to have to wait on any guy that has most likely been desperate enough to sleep with you anyway."

I rolled my eyes as Charlotte ran off to deal with an angry customer. I looked at the guy and immediately recognized him. His adorable face was recognizable anywhere. Eli Soto was sitting where I would've had to serve him.

Well, thank the Lord I switched sections.

After fixing my hair and straightening my baby blue camisole, I eagerly went to Michael. He looked up, shocked that I was the waitress waiting on him. My eagerness melted away as I saw the disappointment on his face. The same feeling washed over me, too. I hid it, as always.

"So, my name is Aria DiLaurentis and I will be your sever today," I said, angrily handing him a menu.

Michael's mouth popped open. "D-DiLaurentis?"

"Yes. Why the shock?"

"Nothing. Strange last name that's all," he mumbled. Then louder, "Why did you re-introduce yourself? I already know you. Well, I didn't know your last name, but still."

I shrugged. "You purposely sat in Charlotte's section," I replied. "So, I felt like I needed to make this professional, considering the fact that you seem to hate me. Anyway," I said, pulling out a notepad. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Just a coffee," he sighed. "I won't be eating anything."

Laughing, I asked, "Why, on a diet? Is that what the trench coat is for? To hide all your joobly fat?"

"Joobly?"

"A word I made up in middle school. It means jiggly. I'll get right on that coffee."

I walked over to the counter. While pouring his coffee, I heard Raina talking to her mother.

"Mom, why can't my hair look like that?" she asked, pointing at my luxurious, wavy hair. Raina pulled her hood down and grasped a lock of her hair, disgusted. It was straight, blonde, and only went an inch past her shoulders. "I mean, my hair isn't even soft."

"Hair like that takes money that we don't have," her mother responded. "You want me to buy you stuff from Hollister, then I can't do that for you. Do you want pretty hair or cool clothes?"

Raina groaned and I giggled. My parents used to be like that. You had to decide if you wanted the cool, stylish, new stuff, or the pretty, beautiful things. Mike and I could never have both. Money was always an issue in every family, but our cash dilemma was bigger than that.

I rushed over to Michael and gave him his cup of coffee. He handed me back the menu and I put it away. Then, I approached Raina and her mother.

"Hello, is there anything else I could get you?" I asked.

Raina looked up at me before saying, "Can I get another cup of hot chocolate?" Her mother scowled disapprovingly.

"We have to leave soon, Raina," she scolded.

"Hey, if I'm going out in that weather, I want some hot chocolate."

We laughed. Well, she laughed, her mother shook her head, and I giggled. I wasn't really paying much attention, though. Raina's blonde hair and bright blue eyes made my heart hurt. Lucy had blonde hair and blue eyes. And the pain also came from the fact that Lucy looked a lot like Alison, Jason's sister, and my dead best friend from high school.

"All right, well I'll get you some more hot chocolate, and the check."

After getting what I promised them, I saw Michael's cup was empty. I brought more coffee for him and he nodded. I poured it to the brim and handed him the check. As I was about to leave, he said, "Aria."

My heart melted at the sound of my name rolling off of his tongue. "Yes?" I asked.

He turned to face me, his beautiful blue eyes hidden under the solid black of his shades. "I'm sorry," he admitted, shame seeping into his tone. "I shouldn't have been such a jerk. Just, after the whole incident at your house with the Salvation Army thing, I just felt a bit awkward talking to you again. Sorry for barging into your home and saying all the wrong things."

"Michael, you didn't say the wrong things." He just stared down at the table, never shifting his gaze or looking up. "Here, how about tomorrow, we go and try to collect money for the Salvation Army?" I proposed.

His dazzling smile sent my heart thudding faster than ever and my knees became weak. I couldn't help but answer him with another smile. "That would be great, Aria." Then, he handed me the check and a tip.

I couldn't believe it! He had given me $100, just for a tip! I didn't feel right about taking it, so I ran outside to catch him. He was gone.

When my shift was finally over, I went home to get some sleep for the next day. Tomorrow I had off work, so it was perfect to raise cash for the Salvation Army. The truth is, I loved giving to the less fortunate. I know how I used to be one of those people. I know how it feels to stand where they do. Where I stood is not a grand place. It's terrifying.

So, when I entered my house, I was glad it was warm and cozy. I was thankful that the home was safe and I had cash to pay the bills. It was so much better to be the type of person who could do so many things without having to worry about the consequence of money problems. And it was great to take a shower and go to sleep, safe and sound.

I hoped Lucy had the same luxury.


End file.
